U.S. House defeats Oregon lawmaker's timber payment bill

by
Charles Pope, The Oregonian

Thursday June 05, 2008, 1:34 PM

WASHINGTON -- One day after a furious debate, the House defeated legislation Thursday that would have extended crucial federal payments to rural communities in Oregon and 41 other states.

The bill offered by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., actually got a majority of votes but it failed to win a two-thirds majority required under a special rule that brought it to the floor.

The vote was 218-192 with two lawmakers voting "present.''

Oregon Reps. DeFazio, David Wu, Earl Blumenauer and Darlene Hooley voted for the bill as did Washington state Democrat Brian Baird. Oregon Republican Rep. Greg Walden, who engaged in a hot debate with DeFazio on Wednesday, voted against the bill.

"We had a chance to keep this alive, send it to the Senate and the Republicans chose to kill it to score political points on the issue of offshore oil drilling and to score political points with the oil industry. Plain and simple. There's no other way to cut it,'' DeFazio said after the vote.

The outcome was not surprising. Walden and other Republicans complained that DeFazio broke a promise by financing the bill through new royalties on existing offshore oil and gas leases. DeFazio defended the approach and said it was the best way to move the bill before counties and local governments run out of money.

As We're past Hail Mary plays at this point. I'm not giving up. I will never give up. I will look for any other way I can do this.

But DeFazio added, "As we speak, people are being laid off. They're programming to let prisoners out of jail. Teachers' contracts aren't getting renewed and we had a chance today to change that. Republicans choose not to.''

With Thursday's defeat, supporters of extending the program have two prospects. They can hope that language approved by the Senate to extend the program for one year becomes law. That is questionable, however, because the county payments language was added to a bill financing the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush said he would veto the bill if it included any domestic spending.

The other choice is that the House brings the bill back to the floor but under a different rule. That option is not expected because it would allow Republicans to offer amendments on such controversial topics as drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Democratic leaders have bitterly opposed opening ANWR and are unlikely to give Republicans any opportunity to raise the issue.

"It's very unlikely at this point that we can save funding at least until we have a new president,'' DeFazio said.

What happen to the spotted owl? Did they move to a new tree? Did the owls put a few potatoes on your dinner plate? Did the owl fly into your pot of stew?
Wake up people! Is anyone out there a bit concerned that Rent prices, food prices, drug prices, basic needs to our survival are becoming out of reach to the typical hard working back breaking families {that pay the wages of the government workers}
Oh just go get another job? Hello! Earth to citizens???
There are no good paying jobs. because our government kisses ass to all the big companies given the tax breaks to large money corporations. Forgetting about the American Small business. Why can't the little guy catch a big tax break? why can't the Hospitals pay taxes? When they charge for a piece of gum to a patient $10 dollars? For a piece of Gum? Similar to the defense contracts to order a toilet seat to the tune of 800 dollars per seat. can you say our government is a miscarriage
of justice for the average middle class person?
We the people was changed to we the government of oil..Citizens of the Willamette Valley. Wake up
write letters to the white house tell them of your struggles. Do something. Protest/ march/ Stand up/
We need to clear the slate of our current government and turn the tides.The United States citizens said we are gona take this anymore back in the 1970's and we managed to get Nixon out of power. I guess the average person that works three jobs doesn't have time because if you don't work 80 hours a week your family becomes homeless?
Take the time. Tell your story.. aren't you tired of the baloney? the propaganda? Stand United!!
above all start standing..Come together and change the world.. The possibilities are endless. We have to try. Divided we fall. Lets get off our duffs and make an effort to get involved.. We elected these officials to represent US.. THE PEOPLE.
I have a clue they seem to be just representing themselves to justify the government Pork barrel politics as usual..